COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey today named 28 players to the preliminary roster of its 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, including nine players who helped the U.S. win its second straight gold medal in the IIHF World Junior Championship a year ago.
Team USA, which features defenseman Cole Hutson (North Barrington, Ill./Boston University), who led the 2025 World Juniors in points (3-8–11), will convene for a training camp at AMSOIL Arena in Duluth, Minnesota, from Dec. 15-23.
Players are auditioning for a spot on the final 25-player roster that will represent the United States in the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship Dec. 26, 2025 – Jan. 5, 2026, in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ticket for all games are on sale and available here.
“We’re excited about the group of players we’ve named,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team and also the assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “It’s always difficult to narrow it down, but we’re set for what we know will be a very competitive camp that will help us get to our final roster.”
The 28 players – including three goaltenders, 10 defensemen and 15 forwards – come from 10 different states. Minnesota leads the way with eight representatives. A total of 25 have been drafted by NHL teams, including eight first-round and eight second-round selections. For the full roster, click here.
NHL Network is the exclusive home of the IIHF World Junior Championship in the United States and will air every Team USA game in addition to many others, including all quarterfinal, semifinal and medal games. E.J. Hradek, Tony Granato and Jon Morosi will call all U.S. contests.
The final U.S. roster is expected to be announced by Dec. 24. Team USA has medaled in eight of the last ten tournaments, including gold in 2024 and 2025.
NOTES: A total of 19 players have played at least one game as part of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, including 18 as full-time members of the two-year residency program. The NTDP plays in the USHL, the only Tier I junior league in the U.S. … Of the 28 players, 20 are playing NCAA Division I men’s hockey with six competing in the CHL and one each in the AHL and USHL. The University of Michigan leads NCAA programs with four players on the preliminary roster … Bob Motzko (Austin, Minn./University of Minnesota) is the head coach of the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team. Motzko led the U.S. National Junior Team to gold in the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship and bronze in the 2018 event. Greg Brown (Scituate, Mass./Boston College), Steve Miller (Sun Prairie, Wis./University of Minnesota), and Garrett Raboin (Detroit Lakes, Minn./Augustana University) are serving as assistant coaches, with David Lassonde(Durham, N.H./USA Hockey) acting as goaltending coach. Jacob LeRoy (Dublin, Ohio/University of Minnesota) and Travis Winter (St. Cloud, Minn./Bemidji State University) are the team’s video coaches … Team USA is in Group A and will play preliminary round games against Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Group B includes Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Latvia … For more information about the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship click here.